USA > Michigan > Mecosta County > Portrait and biographical album, Mecosta county, Mich., containing portraits and biographical sketches > Part 68
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Beard, F. C., grocery.
Carr, J. M., lumber and shingles.
Chapin, Allen, general store.
Cutler, J. F. & Co., hardware store.
Dickerson, Isaiah, livery stable.
Davy & Flock, wagon shop and blacksmith.
Higbee & Hugh, lumber and lath.
Hill, William, restaurant.
Force, George H., general store.
Hanson Bros., grocery.
Hicks. W. H., drug-store.
Hanson, M., notions.
Jones, W. T., shingles.
Jones, Wellington, crockery.
Jones & Hugh, grist-mill.
Lake, W. O., stationery.
Loshbough, G. B., wagon-shop and blacksmithing. Lawson, Charles, boot and shoe store.
Morgan Bros., furniture store.
Mickins, Spencer, barber shop.
Pelton, Lon. A., hardware store.
Pike, Nelson, drug store. Pike, Mrs. A., millinery shop.
Pierdon & Sanegar, tannery.
Reynier, Julius, hotel and saloon.
Rockwell, Mrs. Wm., millinery shop. Richmond, W. H., jewelry store.
Smith, O. W., photograph gallery. Swanger. M., bakery and restaurant.
Thurkow, John E., general store. Trask, R. S., saloon.
Wiley, N. W., shingles.
Ward, Mrs. G. II., millinery. Wagner & Foolmer, shingles.
Whitbeck, L. I., meat market. Woolworth, B. F., harness shop.
The medical profession is represented by Drs. B. F. Brown, B. H. MeMullen and J. B. Cook ; and the legal by D. C. Moshier.
M. I .. Jones is the station agent on the G. R. & I. Railroad,
The Morley Advance is a five-column folio, printed at Mecosta, of which about three columns are items pertaining to Morley. H. O. Lake is the Morley editor. H. M. Trussell is the proprietor and pub- lisher. The first issue of the Advance appeared April 13, 1883.
General Wool Post, No. 164, G. A. R., was muster- ed Aug. 2, 1883, with the following officers: Charles Reed, Com .; Orwell Ball, S. V. C .; M. T. Netha- way, J. V. C .; D. C. King, Q. M .; William Rock- well, Chap .; Sanford Reed, O. D) .; Orrin I. Hill, O. G .; William H. Hicks, Surgeon; Clark Van Wie, Adj. The post numbers 24 members.
The only church in Morley is that of the Method- ist Episcopa I denomination, organized in the fall of 1870. For some years, until able to build a church, the society held its services in the school-house. They have now a commodious church edifice, seat- ing between 300 and 400, and which cost $1.500. Services are held at least once every Sunday, and twice every alternate Sunday. The present pastor is Rev. C. W. Smith, who commenced his duties in September, 1883.
The school building at Morley was erected in 1871-2, at a cost of $2,500. Additional sums have been spent on the building at different times-$1,000 in 1883. The Principal of the school is Frank (). Wickham, and he is assisted by Miss Gertrude Gro- ver. The Morley Academy is a private school taught by Clark Van Wie, and was opened in July, 1883. It has a model department for preparing teachers, The attendance varies from 30 10 40. The institution is supported by a stock company, which has raised $1,500 in shares of §25 each.
A driving park has just been purchased west of the village, and a track laid out and graded. The park contains 20 acres. The President of the as- sociation is John Bell; Secretary. D. W. Stewart.
Morley has been a severe sufferer from fire, on two
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occasions. The first was Oct. 6, 1876, when the National Hotel, the Central House, and the Com- mercial House, and all south of them to the river were burned. A woman and child, living near Rust- ford, were consumed in this blaze. The fire is sup- posed to have originated in a lamp explosion. Feb. 17, 1880, the business block from Second to Third streets was consumed. These two conflagrations swept away nearly the whole of the village, though, Phoenix-like, Morley is now more of a place than ever. The second fire is supposed to be due to incendiarism. Albert Fairchild was tried for the crime of arson, convicted, and sentenced to the State Penitentiary for life, but through a technical error obtained a second trial and was acquitted.
AUSTIN TOWNSHIP.
HE township of this name is numbered 14 north, range 9 west, Congressional survey, and is bounded on the north by Colfax Township, on the east by Morton Township, on the south by Deerfield Township, and on the west by Mecosta Township. Austin lies between the Muskegon and the Little Muskegon, the former of which just touches the northwestern corner of the township. Rising in Austin Township are a score of small streams, which all flow from the center. Those on the east flow to the east, those on the south to the south, and those on the west to the west. Among the more important of these streams are Mac's Creek, Quigley Creek and Beaver Creek. In the northeastern corner is Burdon Lake. The Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad passes along the western border, running through sections 6 and 31. The township contains no villages.
Austin was organized in January, 1869, and its first Supervisor was Jacob Snyder.
The population of the township according to the census of 1870, was 346. In 1874 it had grown but a little, and had 416. By the census of 1880, it had doubled its population of six years before, and had 833. Its increase in acreage of improved land was still greater. In 1874 it had 1,089 acres, and in 1881 it had 2,464. The equalized valuation of its real and personal estate at the time of its organization in
1869, was but $125,727. Its present valuation is $267,028. Its total vote, in November, 1882, was 56.
BIG RAPIDS TOWNSHIP.
HE township of Big Rapids, containing the city of the same name, is an exact Con- gressional township, being township fifteen north, range ten west. It contains 23,040, acres of land, of which as large an amount is under cultivation as in any other township in Mecosta County. It is intersected by the Muskegon River, which flows in a winding course south through the eastern part of the township. Flowing east through the northern part, and emptying into the Muskegon at Big Rapids, is Mitchell's Creek. In the southern part are Cold Spring and other small creeks, which flow into the Muskegon. Big Rapids is pre-eminently the railroad township of the county, being traversed by three lines,-the Grand Rapids & Indiana, the Detroit, Lansing & Northern, and the Chicago & West Michigan (formerly the Muskegon & Big Rapids).
The township was organized in 1858, under the name of Leonard. Luther Cobb, was the first Super- visor. In 1865, by act of the Legislature, the name was changed to Big Rapids. The first white settler of the township was John Parish, who located on section 14, in 1851, and was also one of the first two settlers in the county. Many of the first events in the county occurred in this township. The first first birth in the township and also in the county was that of Alice Brockway, daughter of William and Margaret Brockway, Feb. 12, 1853. The first mar- riage in both township and county was that of Silas Moore and Sally French, solemnized by Elder Kelley in the fall of 1854. The first frame dwelling was the two-story boarding-house built by Warren & Ives in 1857. The first mill was the water-power saw-mill built by the same parties in the spring of the same year. This was the first frame structure in town; and a run of stone afterwards added, made it the first grist-mill in the county. The first school- house was a two-story frame building, erected in 1859, on the corner of Michigan avenue and Oak street, in Big Rapids, and afterwards known as the First Ward School-house of the city. The first
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school was taught by Mrs. Mary Fuller, in the sum- mer of 1860.
The population of Big Rapids (then Leonard) Township in 1860 was 317; in 1864 it was 342; in 1870 it was 465; and in 1880 it was 549. It had 2,440 acres of improved land in 1878, and 2,239 acres in 1881. The decrease is only apparent, and is due to different standards used in different years. The equalized valuation of real estate and personal property in 1859 was $161,279.36; and its present valuation is $312,790. This of course excludes Dig Rapids City. The total vote in November, 1882, was 87.
Chippewa Township.
&HIPPEWA Township, situated in the northern tier of townships of Mecosta County, is township 16 north, range seven west, Congressional survey, and is bounded on the north by Osceola County, on the east by Fork Township, on the south by Martiny Township, and on the west by Grant Town- ship. It is on the divide between the two slopes drained by the Muskegon and the Chippewa, though most of it is tributary to the Chippewa. Pogie Lake, in the northwestern part, is the source of Pogie ('reek, which unites with Muskegon River in Grant Township. South through the central part of the township flows Roundy Branch, which enters Upper Evans Lake on the southern line of the township. This lake has from its southern end, which is in Martiny Township, a short outlet flowing into Lower Evans Lake. This in turn flows by another short outlet into the South Branch of the Chippewa. On the head-waters of the Roundy Branch and tributary streams are Pine Lake, Emerald Lake, and a num- ber of smaller bodies of water. On the northern boundary lies Big Stone Lake, which projects into Osceola County, and in the southwestern part of the township lies Chippewa Lake, the largest body of water in Mecosta County. It may be considered as the source of the South Branch of the Chippewa. It covers parts of sections 19, 20, 21, 29, and 30, and is 800 or more acres in extent. A railroad has re- cently been built to Chippewa Lake, as a branch from the Detroit, Lansing & Northern railroad, and
a small steamer plies on the lake. It may in time become a very popular resort. Chippewa Township was given a civil organization in 1868, and it elected as its first Supervisor, John W. Sparks. The first white settler, a Mr. Pollock, located on section six, in the spring of 1865. The first birth, that of Mary McCormack, daughter of Malcolm and Catherine McCormack, occurred April 20, 1868. The first death was that of Mrs Sylvester Smith. The first marriage, that of Robert Jamieson and Minnie Mar- tiny, was solemnized by Rev. E. B. Miner, in Jan- uary, 1868. The first frame building was a barn, erected by William Perry in 1874. The first mill was a saw-mill, erected by R. W. Kimball, in 187 2. The first school-house was a log building erected on section eight, in the spring of 1870; and the first school was taught by Z. N. Tidd, in the summer of the same year. The first store was opened by Wil- son Brothers in June, 1873. The first postoffice, Chippewa Lake, was established in 1870, with S. V. Tice as Postmaster.
The Chippewa Grange is an organization desery- ing mention. It was started in 1874, with a mem- bership of 25. At the present time it has 30 mem- bers, and is in excellent condition. They have a hall, built in 1879.
The lumber interest is of great importance in Chip- pewa Township. The Chippewa Lumber Company purchased 150,000,000 feet of timber near Chippewa Lake, in the fall of 1882. They also purchased the I). F. Comstock Mill at Big Rapids, and removed the same to Chippewa Lake during the winter. They commenced sawing the ist of June. They will soon have a large planing mill and shingle mill in connec- tion with their lumber business. The same firm have platted a village called Chippewa, which is growing rapidly, and has excellent prospects for future prosperity, as the nearest towns are Evart and Big Rapids, 12 miles distant. On section 2 is a saw-mill with a capacity of 18,000 feet per day, run by William Wilson, Bro. & Miller.
In 1870, the population of Chippewa Township was only 140. In 1874 this had increased to 291, and in i880 the census credited it with 445. In 1878 it had 1,522 acres of improved land; and in 1881 it had 1,737 acres. In 1869, the equalized valuation of its real and personal estate was $32,414; and its present valuation is $426,680. The total vote of the township, in November, 1882, was 54.
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DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP.
EERFIELD Township is thirteen north and nine west, of the Congressional survey. It lies in the southern tier of Mecosta County, and is bounded as follows : On the north by Austin Township; on the east by Hinton Town- ship; on the south by Montcalm County ; and on the west by ÆEtna Township. It is well watered, the Little Muskegon flowing nearly west through the middle of the township. It traverses the town- ship on sections thirteen, twenty-four, twenty-three, twenty-two, twenty-one, twenty, twenty-nine and thirty, from which it leaves the Township. In the northern part of Deerfield are Quigley Creek, which flows with and enters the Little Muskegon near the center of the township, and the East Branch of Big Creek, which flowing southwest unites with the Lit- tle Muskegon near the village of Morley, in Ætna Township. In the southern part of Deerfield begin several small streams, which, although they flow south, finally find their way to the Little Muskegon. The Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad barely enters the township, running through sections six and seven. A portion of the thriving village of Morley belongs to Deerfield, although the main part is in Ætna Township. Bell's Crossing and Rustford, small sta- tions on the D. L. &. N. railroad, are situated in Deerfield Township.
The territory included in Deerfield was organized in March, 1861, and its first Supervisor was Samuel S. Chipman. The first white settler was George Quigley, who located on section four. The first birth was that of James Quigley, son of George and Jane Quigley, in 1858. The first death was that of Frederick Eckard, in 1863. The first marriage was that of Isaac Sedore and Elizabeth Smith, solemnized by George Quigley, Justice of the Peace, in Decem- ber, 1862. The first frame building in the Township was a dwelling erected by Lysander Quigley, in 1859. The first mill was a small water-power grist-mill and saw-mill, built on the Little Muskegon River by Ethan Satterlee. The first school-house was a log building erected on section five, in 1862 ; and the first school was taught the same year by Margaret Quigley. The first store was opened by George Magill, in 1863.
The first post-office, Big Creek, was established about 1865.
In 1864 the population of Deerfield Township was 296; in 1870 it was 564; in 1874 it was 654; and in 1880 it was 1,093. In 1878 the township had 4,389 acres of improved land; and in 1881 it had 4,491 acres. At the time of its organization, in 1861, the equalized valuation was $40,451 ; and its present valuation is $300,080. The total vote of the town- ship in November, 1882, was 145.
COLFAX TOWNSHIP.
HIS is township 15 north, range 9 west, Congressional survey, and is bounded on the north by Grant Township, on the east by Martiny Township, on the south by Austin Township, and on the west by Big Rapids Township. The township is drained princi- pally by Ryan Creek, which flows west through the northern part of the Township. There are several good-sized lakes and a number of smaller ponds in Colfax. The largest is Clear Lake, on section 21. In the northwest corner are Long Pond and Town Line Lake. On the northern boundary is Pickerel Lake; and in the northeastern part of the township are Colby Lake, Cook Lake, Mud Lake and Twin Lakes. In the southwestern part of the township is the Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad, which crosses section 31. On this road is Byers' station and post- office. The Detroit, Lansing & Northern railroad runs through sections 18, 17, 16, 15, 14 and 13. In section 13 the Chippewa branch connects with the main line, and at this junction is the new village of Rodney, which has good prospects for future growth.
The township of Colfax was organized in 1869, and its first Supervisor was Sidney I .. Rood. The first white settler was Lloyd W. Simonds, who located on section 19, in 1860. The first death was that of Helen A. Rood. The first couple married were Noble D. Rood and Martha A. Edwards. The ceremony was performed June 30, 1869, by Lloyd W. Simonds, Justice of the Peace. The first frame building was a barn erected by L. W. Simonds in 1868. The first mill was a portable steam saw-mill, put up by Henry Escott, in 1869. The first school-
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house was a frame building erected on section 31, in 1870.
The population of Colfax Township in 1870 was only 146. In 1874 it had increased to 263; and the census of 1880 showed a further increase to 669. It had 2,001 acres of improved land in 1881. The pres- ent equalized valuation of the real and personal property of the township is $264,842. Its total vote in November, 1882, was 94.
Fork Township.
ORK Township is situated in the northeast corner of Mecosta County, and is Congress- ional township 16 north, range 7 west ; and is bounded on the north by Osceola County, on the east by Isabella County, on the south
m by Sheridan Township, and on the west by Martiny Township. It is watered by Chip- pewa River, the North and South Branches of the same, Rat-Tail Creek and Chippewa Creek. The last two are tributaries of the North Branch, which they join in about the center of the township. These streams, especially the South Branch, are the outlets of a score or more of lakes, of which but three or four are in Fork Township. The others are mostly in Chippewa and Martiny Townships. Fork has no railroad, no village, and but one post-office,-Fork.
The territory above described was organized into a township in October, 1867, and William Creevey was elected the first Supervisor. The first white settler was Marvin A. Rogers, who located on section 28, in the winter of 1865-6. Among the other early settlers, who came between 1866 and 1868, were John H. Gibbs, Charles Rogers, Chauncey Rog- ers, Charlie Powers, Almond Mott, Leonard Chro- shaw, Walter Kendall, Philip Chroshaw, Will- iam Brown, J. H. Groom, Oliver Bark and Leland Roe. The first white child born was Gazelle Murphy, daughter of James and Josephine Murphy, Aug. 21, 1866. The first death was that of John Nicholson, in the fall of 1869. The first marriage was that of Marvin A. Rogers and Alice Ford, in the fall of 1867, solemnized by Elder Z. W. Shepherd. The first frame building in the township was erected by L. W. Roe, in the fall of 1870. The first school-
house was a log building put up on section 28, in the summer of 1870; and the first school was taught by Mrs. Cynthia 1 .. Brown, during the same summer. The first store was opened by Lewis E. Wolcott, in 1875. The first and only post-office, Fork, was es- tablished in the spring of 1860.
In 1870, the population of Fork Township was 163; in 1880, this had more than doubled, being 343. In 1878, Fork had 1,670 acres of improved land. In 1881, under a different rule of assessment, it had 1,219. Its equalized valuation in 1868 was $64,096 ; and its present valuation is $122,705. The total vote in November, 1882, was 43.
Grant Township.
HIS is slightly smaller than any other town- & ship in the county. It comprises all of town- ship sixteen north, range nine west, Congress- ional survey, except section six and parts of sections five and seven, which, being cut off by the Muskegon River, are, for the sake of conven- ience, attached to Green Township. It is bounded on the north by Osceola County, on the east by Chip- pewa Township, on the south by Colfax Township, and on the west by Green Township. It is watered in the northern part by the Muskegon River and its tributaries, logie Creek and Blodgett Creek, and in the southern part by Pickerel Lake River and Ryan Creek. The Township contains several small lakes, drained by these streams, of which the most impor- tant are Blodgett Lake, Mud Lake, Pickerel Lake, Young Lake and Little Young Lake. These lakes and streams abound in fish, and no better field for the sportsman exists than Grant Township. It has no railroad within its borders and yet much of its territory has been cleared and settled.
The township was given a civil organization in 1865, and the first election was held in October of that year. The first white settler was Sylvanus Ford, a single man, who located on section 20 in 1863. The first family to settle in Grant was that of Charles L. Tuttle, who located on section 18, also in 1863. The first birth was that of Irving Tuttle, son of Charles L. and Mary C. Tuttle, which occurred July 4, 1865. The first death was that of Uryal
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Aldrich, in 1865. The first marriage was that of Uryal Aldrich and Mary Donley, in 1863. The first frame building was a dwelling erected by Sylvanus Ford, in 1871. The first school-house was a log building erected on section 18, in 1868. The first school was taught by Lydia Marsh, in the same year.
By the census of 1870, the population was 144; in 1874 it was 179, and in 1880 it was 307. In 1878, Grant Township had 1,231 acres of improved land ; in 1881 it had 1,324. Its equalized valuation in 1866 was $44,797; its present valuation is $240,107. Its total vote in November, 1882, was 71.
The first officers of the township were: Super- visor, Charles L. Tuttle; Clerk, Abram Van Alstine ; Treasurer, Allen Moore ; School Inspectors, Peter Long and S. C. Hemphill; Highway Commissioners, Hugh McCune, R. Whalen and H. M. Wilder; Jus- tices of the Peace, Sylvanus Ford, Hugh McCune, S. C. Hemphill and R. Whalen; Constables, William White and Joseph Morgan.
Green Township.
REEN Township is numbered 16 north, range 10 west, of the Congressional sur- vey, and lies in the northwest corner of Mecosta County. It is bounded on the north by Osceola County, on the east by Grant Township, on the south by Big Rapids Town- ship, and on the west by Newaygo County. Besides an exact Congressional Township, Green includes a little over two sections which naturally belong to Grant Township, but are cut off from it by the Mus- kegon River, and are therefore for convenience' sake attached to Creen. Muskegon River forms thus the eastern boundary for a mile and a half. It then flows west for about four miles and then in a south- erly direction until it leaves the township. The land is watered also by Buck Horn, Paris, Shaw and Tinny Creeks, and a number of smaller streams, all of which are tributary to the Muskegon.
'The township was organized in 1858, before the County of Mecosta was detached from Newaygo, and was one of the only two townships organized when the first meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Mecosta County was held, in May, 1859. Jesse A. Barker, who was at this meeting, was the first
Supervisor of Green Township. The first white family in the Township was that of James Montague, who settled on section 27 in June, 1854. The first white child born was HIelen Montague, daughter of James and Laura Montague, born in 1855. Theo- philus Humphrey, son of Charles B. and Jane Hum- phrey, was born in the fall of 1857. The first death was that of Mrs. Millard, in 1859. The first mar- riage, that of John McFarlane and Betsey Turk, was solemnized by Jesse A. Barker, Justice of the Peace, Dec. 25, 1860. The first frame building was a house erected by Andrew and Lewis H. Green, in 1857. The lumber for it was drawn from Big Prairie, a dis- tance of 30 miles or more, and the mortices of the framework were dug with an old chisel and a mallet, without the aid of an auger, there being no such a tool in town. John Parish and Andrew McFarlane erected a frame dwelling the same year The first mill was a saw-mill, built by John Parish and An- drew McFarlane, in 1857, on Parish Creek, near where the village of Paris now stands. The first school-house was a log building, erected in May, 1858, on section 28. The first school was taught by Martha J. Evarts, in the summer of 1858. The first store was opened by Edmund M. Stickney, in 1866. The first post-office, Paris, was established in 1864.
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The census of 1860 gave Green Township 246 in- habitants; in 1864, the State census showed but 235. In 1870 the population had increased to 616; in 1874 to 886, and in 1880 to 1,132. In 1878 the township had 1,395 acres of improved land; and 4,638 in 1881. Its equalized valuation in 1859 was $144,306.60; and its present valuation is $418,676. Its total vote in November, 1882, was 166.
PARIS VILLAGE.
The village of Paris is located on the east half of section 16, and on the west bank of the -Muskegon River. The first white settler was John Parish, the "father " of the village, which he laid out. It was named " Parish," and this was afterwards changed to the present appellation, " Paris." He also built the first house of logs, about 1864, on the village site. He also built the first frame house. Among the early settlers was Andrew McFarlane, who, in part- nership with Parish, built and operated a saw-mill. Other early settlers were E. M. Stickney and James
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Wright. Mr. Stickney opened the first store, in February, 1866. Shaler & Fitting built the mill now owned by E. M. Stickney, in 1867.
Paris is not incorporated, and has a population of about 350. There are no lodges or other organiza- tions. A small, neat church has just been built by subscription, in which all denominations may meet. The pastor who preaches every Sunday in this church lives at Hersey, Osceola County.
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